We didn't bring equipment to Spokane. We followed the process. We went through an accredited relief organization instead of freelancing. And it still didn't go the way I expected.

I was naive - not reckless, just wrong about what would actually be needed and how fast we could be useful. This is the honest account of three days trying to help with wildfire relief in Spokane, Washington: why we couldn't get past the roadblocks into the evacuation zones, why 100+ volunteers who stepped up couldn't be put to use yet, the bureaucracy of disaster response, and what I got right and wrong trying to help after the Spokane fires.

Also in this video: an update on my son Jack, currently working 16-hour days on a wildland fire crew, on a fire that made a 4-mile run in a single hour.

If you're in the Spokane area and have a genuine need, reach out directly:
cody@wranglerstar.com